Love's Cruelty
by HaruRyu
Summary: Kouha wasn't inherently cruel nor was she, but love does something strange to all of us. Quick one-shot. Rated to be safe. Now a one-shot series- mostly Kouha centric but there will be other pairings and characters featured.
1. Chapter 1

_A/N: It's been a long time since I've posted anything on fanfiction but this little one-shot came to me while I was working on a series and I just had to post it. I apologize to anyone who is waiting on my other stories. I will work on updating them soon. In the meantime I hope everyone enjoys the story! its a little different from my usual style and a new fandom so please kind with any criticism. No flames please._

 _Disclaimer: I do not own anything Magi related._

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 _Love's Cruelty_

She mentally growled, narrowly resisted the urge to ground her teeth in irritation and snap the man's pride that still occupied her mouth despite her frail attempts to withdraw. A gentle but firm hand keeping her exactly where she was as his hips swayed gently against her. Light fingers petting her as he purred and coaxed her with sweet words and names that made her eye twitch.

If he truly believed her to be a good little girl, tamed and declawed it would make it all the more fun when she knocked him from his throne. Her lips smirked, eyes glinting in a way that made his eyes roll and his hips still.

Finally able to withdraw she kissed his thigh in false tenderness before sinking her teeth in brutally. Just as quickly she withdrew, his bliss successfully broken. She was already dressed, this hadn't been about her, but she didn't immediately move for the door. She waited for his eyes to focus as she took him in for what she hoped was the last time. His lips opened reproachfully as he came back down, her eyes slitting in answer. She leaned forward, the graceful curve of her neck and gap of her shirt catching his attention briefly as her fingers threaded through some of his longer strands, allowing it to flow like water through her fingers, leaving tingles in its wake, fingers tightening on the ends before dropping it carelessly to meet the rest sprawled on his chest and bed as she drew back taking it all in one last time. This was the first man to taint her and the last she would ever give that power again.

She didn't say anything as she looked at him with an unreadable look through her shuttered eyes. The shadows masking much, her stance tall and proud as she looked down at his rumpled form she made a decision. Without a second glance or a moment more wasted she took five quick stride out of his room, the door, and his life. The latter he wouldn't know for some time. She wouldn't be gone in the morning or the next. She didn't have the means to fully cut ties, yet, but that was moment that she decided everything. She was done with Kou and all that came with it. She may have lost some of herself to them but she wasn't lost. She made a mistake and loved the wrong person. It happens, and it could be rectified.

Kouha wouldn't notice when months later he no longer caught glimpses of her around the palace. He wouldn't miss the inexperienced blow job or the maid who was always blunt with him and treated him the same as she would anyone else most of the time. He wouldn't miss the girl who despised titles and thought only cowards hid behind them. His childhood friend.  
It would be a year before he'd recall how they used to play when she was new and they were young. Not yet fully aware of his or her stations in the castle and what that actually meant for them. It would be much longer before he began to question his conquest of her. He wouldn't realize she was gone until he complained that she had been slacking on her duties and an attendant off handedly mentioned she'd quit years ago. It would take him even longer to realize the ache he felt at the news was the ache of loss.

It would be five years before their eyes would meet again across trenches and bloody fields. Him standing tall with his brothers and her alongside the blasted Sinbad and his vessels.

It wouldn't be until after the war when the peace negotiations began, more his brothers' field than his, that he would learn she had become a Sindrian citizen eight years ago. That she wasn't actually one of Sinbad's vessels, but Aladdin's idiot king candidate who she'd met in Reim's coliseum. That his cousin Hakuryuu and his sister Kougyoku were both on friendly terms with her, even Judal was on better terms with her, but no one thought to mention her to him (and why would they). She even proved to play a pivotal role in the peace treaties alongside Aladdin, his brothers, and the others she seemed to know so well.

She never looked at him once. During the whole peace negotiations he couldn't get one word from her unless it directly related to business. At the end she left with them. She hugged everyone goodbye, even Kouen- though she swiftly jumped behind Sinbad as a human shield after. He just got an almost handshake that turned into the most awkward wave he'd ever seen.

Then she was gone.

He'd see her many times over the years at weddings and political engagements but never on her own time. The only times he'd get the briefest acknowledgement was after a battle against some rebellion or other where she'd inquire into his wellbeing or, his favorite, when someone called him an insane freak and her eyes would narrow and her fists would ball up just the way they did so long ago. Only now she didn't grab his wrists and drag him away with curses and an annoyingly positive motivational speech. Now he might get a lingering glance before she turned on her heels and walked back to her friends. Trusting him to fend for himself.

One year later, after Hakuryuu's wedding, he finally chased after her. Shoving through guests and diplomats he cared nothing for to get to her before she disappeared again, holding tight, and saying the words he should have said so long ago.

He wished he could say it made a difference. That she had started crying and confessed she'd always loved him and they got married and had their own set of brats. That's not what happened though. The difference made wasn't positive in the least. He no longer saw her anywhere. Not at political events or weddings. Not on the street. Not even with Aladdin. And he missed her terribly. His ears strained for any whisper of her. His eyes constantly searched for her in any crowd only to be met with disappointment each time.

He'd gotten lucky, finally, and overheard Hakuryuu reporting on his recent visit to Reim. She was there with Aladdin and his lot on some mission or another. None of that mattered though; he'd finally found her.

Three months later and he finally had an opening in his boring schedule. He gave word to his brothers' and tried not to shirk at the looks he received when he mentioned Reim. They knew but they didn't stop him.

For six months he 'visited' her whenever he had free time. On the last day of the sixth month she finally stopped completely ignoring him with a frustrated shout of "Are you seriously stalking me now?! Go home Kouha!"and a rock may have been chucked in his general direction. He had never been happier to hear his name.

At nine months, she'd occasionally greet him in passing. Always stiff and annoyed.

After a year of _'stalking'_ they reached a cordial relationship.

After two years they were tentative friends and she stopped avoiding him at weddings or political events. Even going so far as to greet him personally instead of being forced or cornered into interacting him. He no longer had to strain to hear news of her. There were no more hushed whispers or tense glances when he walked by. It was nice and the ache started to fade.

At three years he looked forward to seeing her at the annual peace conference. They talked often now but between their two schedules it had been almost a year since he'd last actually seen her.  
He hated that conference.

That conference she told him about a guy she had started dating six months ago, 'Titus', she called him smiling with a happiness that hadn't been directed at him in over ten years. And his heart broke as he smiled, maybe it was more of a grimace but no one pointed it out, and nodded as she told them about how they met. About sweet Margie and grumpy Sphin' and how cute the three were. How Titus and Sphintus were always fighting but to her it just sounded like love and family. How she'd never been happier. That she didn't know how she ever came to deserve those three in her life.

And then she _thanked_ him.

Thanked him for driving her away because if he hadn't she never would have met any of them. Never would have befriended Hakuryuu, Alibaba, Aladdin, or Morgiana. Never would have moved to Sindria and met all the wonderful people there. Never would have the respectful relationship she has with his brothers. Never would have fallen in love with someone who was actually good for her.  
And they never would have become such good friends.

Then she gave him the brightest smile he'd ever seen. She was radiant in a way he hadn't seen since they were little. So maybe he wasn't part of her life like he wanted but she was happy and he was part of her life. And if maybe his smile felt like a grimace right now and the tears in his eyes weren't exactly happy ones as he drew her into a tight hug and said words he didn't quite mean, yet, he was happy in a way. How could he not when Cira was glowing like her namesake?

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Hope you enjoyed! I look forward to hearing everyone's opinions and thoughtful criticisms.


	2. Chapter 2

_Disclaimer: as always I only own my original character and my plot._

A/N: a chapter from a story I never quite got around to finishing. It was going to be a kouha/OC story but this was only first chapter so Kouha doesn't actually play a role in it. Still considering if I want to continue it or not so please let me know what you think.

Trigger warnings: torture and death

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 _ **Wicked, Dangerous, Love**_

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She stumbled numbly out the door, her foot catching and twisting as she caught herself against the banister and beam outside the house. Body bent unnaturally as she continued to heave for breath that seemed to refuse to fill her struggling lungs, hand clutching painfully over her thrumming heart the other clenched into her side as if trying to hold something in. Her eyes were shadowed as if she had not slept in days though it had only been hours, her eyes wide in horror and glistening with unsaid tears as something clawed up her throat and for a second she feared it was him. But no that was impossible.

She swallowed down bile as she became conscious of the blood and other unmentionables sticking her clothes to her flesh in crusty and wet patches.

They were dead. They were both dead.

She couldn't understand, couldn't comprehend what had happened. What still laid just steps behind her if she were only to slightly turn her head she would be able to see-

She took a shuddering breath as she forced her body to take an unsteady sluggish step forward on numb feet and a weak ankle that almost rolled and sent her right back to the ground. She sniffled as she dragged her left foot across the ground til they were even with her right, head bent and blurry eyes focusing on where the next step would take her. Not once did she dare to look back, too afraid. Ridiculously afraid she was aware. They couldn't do anything to her now, really it had nothing to do with her… it was just an old classmate. An old classmate that had been brutally murdered by the man she used to gush about late at night when they were supposed to be studying.

She just couldn't understand it, any of it.

Each step was becoming easier as her body went on autopilot as her mind whirled with images.

Flashback

It had all started out like it always does. There was a copious amount of alcohol and gossip. Everyone catching up with what everyone had been doing the last year. It was always just them three: Periditus, Cecilia, and her. Everyone else was left behind while the trio caught up in a ritual so old they had long forgotten where it had originated. She had no idea how it had gotten to this point. How talk of Cecilia's new girlfriend and the upcoming wedding had turned into this horror show.

They'd all fallen asleep. At first she had assumed it was from the alcohol but now… looking around the room she was suspecting foul play.

She was brought back to reality as another scream was wrenched from Cecilia. She didn't dare look. She

was ashamed by her cowardice but she couldn't. That…thing, no longer even resembled Cece. It most resembled an open weeping, rotting wound. The only thing that reminded her that this thing was indeed Cece, her oldest friend, were the eyes. It was the one thing he hadn't touched, yet. Cecilia's blue eyes still pierced through all the red, even blood shot and empty as they were now. They looked like the eyes of a corpse. As if Cecilia had already left her body and the never ending screams were just a knee jerk reaction from a body that hadn't quite caught up. Those dead eyes had been the first thing she saw when she woke. She may have screamed then, she was actually sure she had, and he fucking laughed. He laughed in true merriment as Cecilia's body jerked, desperately trying to get away and she screamed and cried trying to get to her. Trying to help somehow, her wrist raw and soaking the rope there. Now it was dry, chaffing, and flaking. Cecilia's body no longer even attempting to escape. Honestly the screaming had stopped a while ago, or maybe she'd just blacked out for a while because the red puddle under her had definitely grown and his black loafers could still be seen from her line of vision and he made his way from his 'toy' kit to an unresponsive body.

Suddenly there were screams and she jerked up. The image forever ingrained of Cecilia coming back to life and she squirmed and kicked at her restraints. Her body heaving, twisting and arching in a desperate attempt to escape. Her wide terrified eyes meeting hers as her own struggle to get to her friend renewed. They both knew their struggles were pointless and it only made it sadder that they knew the other knew that as he watched them caressing his knife as they started to cry. It was over so quickly. Blood spilling in arc, welling continuous until it coagulated. Eyes empty, brilliant blue now looking dirty, more brown than blue. She couldn't look away not even as he came towards her with the same knife. Nothing seemed to matter in that moment. Cecilia was dead. She was really dead. There was no waking up from this nightmare. How was this reality? Why…

The man slumped down next her, curling into her side. She didn't move, barely breathing.

"You must have a lot of questions Lucia." He murmured into her hair.

"….you killed her." She wish it had come out scathing, but everything felt numb and forcing words over tongue and lip was a struggle; emotion was an impossible implausible feat.

"I did." It wasn't apologetic or cruel. Just a fact.

Tears blurred her vision her lips forming a question she couldn't ask.

"Don't worry Lucia, she's gone ahead of us but she won't be alone long."

More tears wetted her cheek but still no words came to her as he cuddled deeper into the curve of her neck.

"It's always going to be us three, always and forever" he hummed affectionately.

"…B-but"the word wavered as her eyes drifted back to the broken body, her chest heaving, throat convulsing. "…why like this?" her words came out so quiet and choked she wasn't sure if it was audible at all.

"You were all leaving me. They were taking you away. Cecilia with her 'true love' and you with those damn Ren's and when it's not them you're in Sindria with Cecilia and the pervert king! You both just forgot about me. Poor Periditus that never left home or fought in the war! Who isn't a king candidate or a kings vessel or worth anything at all!" the amount of spite in his voice shook her.

There was a lot she'd like to say to that. That it was never like that. That she loved (had loved) him and that she was sorry she didn't give him enough time. That she was inherently selfish and it had never occurred to her that he was suffering since they talked all the time and he seemed ok with the whole long distance thing, going so far as to promote it when she was sure it wouldn't work. That he should have talked to them instead of doing this… but he had done this. This awful, abhorrent deed. He was nothing more than a murder, a traitor, filth so what actually came out was:

"You won't get away this. Sinbad and Kouen will find you."

An empty chuckle wrint the air. "Not your precious Kouha? Or her darling Yamu? Oh that's right, he already has a fiancé, a princess correct? It's why you settled for Mister Humble- I-Could-Never- Do-Better-Then-You. That's why you settled for me isn't it? You thought I wouldn't notice how soon we started dating after that announcement?" he chuckled but it was cold and sent shivers of dread down her spine "And Yamu, she can't do anything without her king's say right? Even defend her precious love." She shivered at the venom in his hissed whisper as he leaned directly in her ear as he caressed her cheek tenderly "Too bad neither of you could do better than me in the end but don't worry; it's all ok now"

She leaned away as much as her binding would allow as she fully came back to herself.

"You're insane."

He chuckled as he leaned back into her space the forgotten knife digging into her thigh.

"Maybe, but I'm all you've got."

End flashback

She became aware of her body again as it was sent sprawling down to the unforgiving ground. Still she couldn't bring herself to move, she was so tired.

Why had this happened?

A hand on her shoulder startled her and she tensed, head turning and eyes narrowing up at the silhouette made dark and fuzzy by the glares of the sun.

The hand was removed as she remained tense like a snake prepared to strike if given the slightest motivation.

"Lucia?" a deep voice that tingled in her ears in the most pleasing tenor had her relaxing slightly as her brows furrowed as her muddled mind tried to place the voice to a name.

"Lucia," it was sterner now, clearly meant to demand her attention with a sharpness that had her tired eyes drifting back to the now bent figure. "What happened?" distantly she realized she was being searched for injury.

"Not. Hurt." She struggled to force out her eyes widening ever so slightly at the gravely rasping tone her voice had taken and the sandpapery feel in her throat as her windpipes rubbed together in an attempt to form words. How long had she been lying here?

"Bad" she amended on a wince as she tried to situate herself

"Lucia…" it was a disbelieving drawl. She shook her head forcing herself up into a bent kneeling position, trying to convey without words.

"… It's not yours." It wasn't a question.

She glanced behind. Eyes to blurry and darkened around the edges to make sense of much better yet see outside a three foot radius.

"Cecilia's. Periditus…." The words just weren't working for her as she tried to convey all that happened through sandpaper pipes. "Murderer" she coughed her whole body shaking and almost sprawling flat back on the ground if not for the steady hand on her shoulder helping her stay upright. Her eyes searched for his, she had to get this last part out. It was important. "H-he" she cleared her throat a few times and tried again. " He, k-killed." she hiccupped but the rest wouldn't come, she couldn't finish what she knew needed to be said.

"…where is he now?" he demanded as his eyes scanned their surroundings for anything that could prove hostile.

She glanced behind again and he nodded in understanding, rising after a brief moment of hesitation to check it out. She didn't know how long she waited for his return but she came to a harsh shaking of her shoulder.

"Lucia, get up. Now" she blinked but struggled up with the support of Kouen. The urgency hidden in his voice slowly piercing whatever was suffocating her mind processes right now.

As he hauled her forward without a backwards glance she gave him a confused glance as she was all but dragged along on her new born fawn legs to his fast paced.

"There was only one body."

It took longer than she'd like for that to sink in but when it did her body stiffened and she stumbled, fingers digging into Kouen's arm as she began to shake.

"….What?" she was half way to hysteria.

"He's gone. We are leaving now. No, now Lucia. Move."

With a few scuffing trudging attempts where she was more dragging than walking, her bare feet refusing to find purchase in solid ground, she settled into a stumbling quick jog. Still struggling a foot and half behind Kouen's quick sure strides; half forced forward by Kouen's momentum and strong grip at her elbow holding her in this reality as they made their way back to Kouen's entourage, she assumed, whatever shape that may take.

Whatever may happen after that she didn't care.

Not when her friend was slowly rotting behind them.


End file.
